Humans in the Swamp
by Cactus Bob
Summary: On the way to an international Duel Monsters tourament in France, the gang gets shipwrecked on a tropical island. And as if the trouble of escaping isn't enough, the island is infested with evil creatures who have the power to infect human beings.
1. Shipwrecked

Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Kazuki Takahashi

Man, I got the idea for this fic like five months before I actually wrote it. And it took a lot of failed tries to get right. This is one of my favorites.

* * *

"Hey, I think you guys got a letter from France," Tea said, laughing. She was sifting through the Mutous' mail, getting rid of the kiddy magazines and the advertisements for jewelry. Yugi picked up the letter and looked at the address. He had no idea which French person would have sent him a letter, but it was addressed to Yugi and Atem Mutou. 

"I think I got one o' those," Joey said. "Haven't opened it yet, though."

Yugi tore open the envelope and peeked at the letter. "It's an invitation," he said. "To a Duel Monsters tournament in France. Apparently some big game company there is hosting a competition."

"What do you say, Yugi?" Atem asked. "Do you want to go?"

"I don't speak a word of French," Yugi said. "But I guess I could learn the important stuff pretty quickly. What's French for 'let's duel'?"

"Alright! Paris, here we come!" Joey yelled enthusiastically. "I bet that's da same invitation that I got!"

"It says that Atem, Joey, and I will all be riding on the same cruise ship because we all live in the same area," Yugi replied. "I guess that Kaiba isn't coming."

"You know he's been way too busy with Kaiba Land," Tristan said. "He barely participated in his own tournament."

"You two are coming, aren't you?" Atem asked. "I don't believe that we've ever been to a tournament without you guys."

"Of course we're coming!" Tea exclaimed. "Come on, what would you do without us there to cheer you on?"

"The boat's leaving tomorrow at nine. We need to hurry up and get packed," Yugi said.

Everyone scurried off to their houses and packed. Yugi picked up a French phrasebook and studied it diligently. Atem and Joey carefully prepared their decks. By the time they filed onto the ship, they were completely prepared.

Atem and Joey spent the majority of the day dueling each other. Tristan ate almost everything on the boat, and Tea and Yugi were absorbed in the French phrasebook. It grew dark, and the wind began to pick up.

"Looks like it's going to be rough sleeping weather," Tristan noted. The waves were growing larger and larger, and the boat was rocking more and more violently. Tea's face turned green as the ship lurched.

A great wave struck the side of the boat, and everyone grabbed a piece of furniture for stability. Another wave rose up and hit them, but it poured into their cabin and swept them out on deck. They slid off the ship and crashed into the water, where the waves tossed them until they saw nothing but darkness.

* * *

Yugi's eyes opened slowly. He was hot and thirsty, and his clothes were covered in seaweed and sand. He pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Waves crashed at his feet, and the sun beat down on his back. His head ached and throbbed, and he felt weak all over. 

Where was he? There was nothing around him but ocean and sand and dense forest. He stood up shakily and walked toward the shade of the trees. It was hot, and Yugi shed his wet and sandy jacket. He looked down and saw that all of his cards were still in the little pouch in his duelist's belt. He sighed. That was a small but very real comfort.

Then an awful thought hit him. What if he was the only one who had survived the shipwreck? What if he was all alone on this island, without escape? Despair enveloped him, and he resolved not to think of those possibilities until they were proven beyond a doubt.

He walked into the woods. Maybe his friends had already ventured deeper into the island. Maybe there was someone living here who could help him. After a few yards, his feet began making squelching sounds. He looked at the ground and grimaced. This entire place was a swamp.

He bent down and took off his shoes and socks. The socks he discarded; the shoes he tied together and held by the laces. Although the feeling of slimy mud between his toes was disgusting, the feeling of walking in wet shoes and socks was much worse.

The trees parted. Yugi came to a wet clearing that was dotted with large boulders. There was something that looked like a small mountain in the distance. But there were no buildings here. Yugi sighed. Anyone who resided in a swamp would probably be living in some sort of diminutive hut. Yugi doubted that they would have a plane or a boat so that he and the others could escape. The fear and hopelessness crept up on him again, but he willed the feelings to go away. He hadn't even started searching yet.

Yugi continued walking. Fog began to hover over the marshes. It was quiet and dark in the shadow of the great distant mountain, so Yugi heard immediately when there were a few more footsteps than his own in the muddy ground.

"Hello?" Yugi asked, spinning around. He saw nothing but mist and swamp. Maybe he had been imagining things. He turned back around and continued to walk, but almost as soon as he set off again the extra set of feet began to follow him. Again, he spun around. "I know that someone's there!" Yugi yelled. He clenched his fists and watched the fog carefully. There was something there, he was certain of it.

Yugi walked backwards slowly. Suddenly, his back bumped into a solid object. Yugi turned around and gasped. A giant, scaly black creature bared its teeth at him, and Yugi stumbled back and fell to the ground. The monster looked almost like a dragon, with dark onyx scales, a long tail with a stinger, and gigantic fangs, but it stood on two wide feet like a human. It crouched down and hissed and spat at him like a snake. Yugi scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could.

His heart pounded in his chest, and his breathing seemed incredibly loud. He could hear the soft, squishy thumps of the creature chasing after him. He ran back to the woods and dove into the foliage. He watched motionlessly as the creature looked around closely. When the creature saw that it had lost its prey, it hissed angrily and stomped off.

Yugi waited a couple of minutes, and then he dared to let out the breath that he had been holding. His ears were filled with a high-pitched whining sound. His body was so tense that when he finally relaxed he felt as though he was melting.

What could that thing have been? That was no Duel Monster. Was it a demon or an alien? Or was it just some horrible predator that this demented island had produced? Could Yugi will himself to venture back into the swamp, even to find his friends?

Yes, Yugi decided. If his friends were in there, then this was all the more reason to find them as quickly as possible. They would stand a much better chance if they were together. Yugi stood on shaking legs. He looked around wildly, and then crept back into the marshes, periodically ducking behind some boulder or spindly tree.

If only that fog wasn't there. The creature must have been using it to hide. Yugi kept his ears trained and his feet quick. That had been the most horrible experience of his life, and he had had a few bad ones. He needed to find his friends and get out of there. Fast.


	2. Corruption

Atem approached the mountain cautiously. If any of those creatures were in there… Atem held his injured shoulder and hung his head. This was bad. No, it had been bad when he had first washed up on this island. It had been worse when he had discovered those creatures. Now that he had been bitten by one of them, it was horrendous.

The blood on his tank top was sticky. Sweat dripped from his brow. He had shed his jacket and shoes long ago because of the intense humidity and the wet terrain. A coppery stench lingered on his skin, and his wound itched. The venom that had been injected into his bloodstream was not poisonous—no, it had had a far worse effect.

There was a small, dark cave inside the mountain wall. Atem walked inside slowly. Hopefully he would be able to rest there without being attacked. He needed to find his friends, but right now he needed to sit down more.

He heard shallow, frightened breathing. Atem froze. That wasn't the snake-like sound of the creatures, but it could have come from some other dangerous animal. The quick breaths became intermingled with sobs. This animal was human.

"Hello?" Atem asked softly. The shuddering sobs stopped. Whoever it was tried to hold his breath too late. "I'm not going to hurt you," Atem said soothingly. "Are you alright?"

"A-Atem?" a voice replied. A wet, dirty person crawled out of the cave into the gray light. Atem recognized his hair immediately.

"Yugi!" Atem exclaimed. He hugged Yugi fiercely and let out a sigh of relief. His partner was alright, and he was unharmed. He was utterly grateful that Yugi had not been subjected to the same thing that he had. "Yugi, I'm so glad to have found you."

Yugi looked up into Atem's eyes. "D-did you see…?"

"Yes, I saw," Atem replied bitterly. "It seems as though this island is full of them. It's very lucky that you're alright."

"I-I was looking for you…" Yugi stammered. "I f-found one of them… then I found two of them… I managed to run in here before they caught me."

Atem sat down on the mossy ground. "It's been some day, hasn't it?" he said. Yugi laughed sadly. "We still need to find the others. We'll be much safer if we're together."

Yugi's eyes landed on Atem's wound. "Your shoulder," he said. "Are you alright? What happened?" The wound was covered in blood and green slime. There were evenly spaced teeth marks in his clothing and skin. The wound was so large that it stretched from the top of Atem's arm to the side of his neck.

Atem tensed immediately. "It's just an injury," he said tersely. Yugi stared at him, demanding more information. "One of the creatures… bit me…" he admitted. He seemed to want to abandon the subject as quickly as possible, but Yugi wouldn't let that slide.

"Bit you? Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you think it was poisonous?" Yugi demanded.

Atem chuckled mirthlessly. "It doesn't hurt much. I'm fine."

"Come here," Yugi instructed. Atem inched toward him, and Yugi slid Atem's shirt off his shoulder so that he could take a close look at his wound. The cuts went deep. Any deeper and they might have taken a chunk out of Atem's shoulder entirely. "This is bad," Yugi muttered. "At least it doesn't look like it's poisoned or infected."

Atem shrunk back and readjusted his shirt. He seemed almost ashamed, and he refused to look Yugi in the eye. "But that's strange," Yugi commented. "If one of those creatures was able to bite you, then why didn't it just…" Yugi trailed off as he saw the expression on Atem's face. "I'm sorry. I guess we're lucky that something worse didn't happen."

"Yes," Atem said. His voice sounded strained. "But we've lingered here long enough. We need to find the rest of the gang before something worse happens to them."

"Yes, you're right," Yugi agreed. He helped Atem up and they began walking through the swamp. Neither of them said a word. They were far too focused on the sounds of the swamp. If something started to pursue them, they would need to know as quickly as possible.

Atem's attitude toward his injury intrigued Yugi. Why had he been so embarrassed, so avoidant? Was he afraid that he really would be killed? Was there something else to the story that Atem wasn't telling Yugi? Yugi wished that he could ask Atem openly, just like he always did. But Yugi knew that Atem wouldn't be honest with him as far as this was concerned—he had already proven that.

Suddenly Atem froze. Yugi turned to him. "What's the matter?" Yugi whispered. "Do you hear something?" Atem motioned for Yugi to be quiet, and Yugi shut his mouth immediately. Atem's eyes flicked back and forth for a moment, and then he snatched up Yugi's hand and set off across the swamp at full speed.

Then Yugi finally heard what Atem had heard—soft hissing noises. Muffled footsteps thumped rhythmically behind them. Atem and Yugi ran as fast as they could, but the footsteps were growing louder and louder. Finally Atem spun around and faced the creature, shielding Yugi behind him.

The creature began to hiss and spit. Atem stared him down. Then Atem opened his mouth and uttered the same snake-like sounds. The creature's tail swished with intrigue. How, the creature wondered, could this human speak its language? There was only one answer—the human wasn't human at all.

Yugi inched away from Atem with wide eyes. This couldn't be happening. This must have been a dream.

The monster spat back, and Atem and the creature's conversation escalated into an argument. Finally Atem said something decisive, and the creature strode away angrily. Atem turned back to Yugi with worried, pleading eyes. "Yugi…"

"No. No," Yugi whispered. He turned and took off into the woods. He could hear Atem calling after him. This couldn't be.

When Yugi was sure that he was alone for good, he collapsed onto the ground and sobbed. His best friend, turned into a creature of evil! Now Atem and the rest of those monsters were allies. Yugi wouldn't have been surprised if Atem had led them to Yugi's location.

This couldn't have gotten any worse. Atem was evil, his friends were missing, he had been shipwrecked, and he was trapped on an island full of carnivorous monsters. Why was this happening to him? Why did these terrible things _always _happen to him? Was he cursed? Was it some sort of anti-karma? Were good people doomed to suffer?

Yugi got off the ground and walked out of the woods, towards the beach. He looked around and saw with relief that he was alone. Apparently the creatures liked to stick to the inside of the island, the marshy area. He walked along the beach and listened to the harsh waves. If there was only some way of getting out of this place…

"Yugi!" someone yelled. Yugi spun around warily. Was it Atem? Yugi prepared to run, but Joey, Tristan, and Tea came running up to him. They looked ecstatic, but they didn't seem like they were in such good shape either. They were just as dirty and wet as Yugi was.

"Yug', you're alright!" Joey exclaimed. "Dude, we'd thought we'd never find ya!"

"Did you see those monsters in the swamp?" Tea asked, trembling. Yugi nodded. "But you managed to escape, didn't you? Of course you did, how else would you be standing here?" She laughed nervously at her own foolishness.

"Now all we have to do is find Atem," Tristan said happily. Tears formed once more in Yugi's eyes. "Huh? What's wrong, Yugi?"

"Atem… Atem is on their side, guys," Yugi said. "Atem's one of them! He talks like them—he talks to them! H-he's just as evil as the rest of those things…"

"But… but that can't be," Tea whispered. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

Yugi explained what happened to him and Atem. By the time he finished, the smiles had slid off the gang's faces. Now they realized just how horrible this situation was. Tea was the first to recover. "The… the real Atem wouldn't want us to just sit around here and weep over him," she said bravely. "We still need to get off this island. We need to find some safe shelter, and then we need to find a way to escape from this place."

"But Tea, how can you say that?" Tristan asked. "Atem… Atem is…"

"I know that he's gone, but we don't have a choice!" Tea yelled. "It's already over. We need to save ourselves now."

"Tea's right," Yugi agreed quietly. "We can mourn later. Right now, we need to survive."


	3. Explanations

The gang drifted silently through the forest. There were no sounds except for the crunch of their feet on the foliage. They said nothing, partially so that they would be able to hear if one of the creatures was sneaking up to them. But each of them believed that their silence was a small homage to Atem's true soul, which had passed away.

Yugi wasn't exactly sure what had happened. Perhaps Atem's mind and body had been infected when that creature had bitten him. Yugi was sure that the person in the cave was not Atem, and he was absolutely certain that the person in the swamp was not Atem. It couldn't be. The real Atem would never betray him like that.

Yugi occasionally dared to hope that this was all a dream, that he had fallen asleep in the little cabin on the ship. He imagined that he would wake up soon with Atem smiling at him, and they would go to France and eat baguettes and play Duel Monsters with the local competition. But it wasn't a dream. This—all of this—was horribly real.

"Hey, guys, look at that!" Tristan exclaimed. He was pointing to a small building in the distance. The gang walked up to it and peeked inside the windows. It was devoid of life, except for a few rats and snails. They opened the vine-covered door.

"It looks like someone else was here before us," Tea observed. Yugi opened up a metal locker in the corner and nosed around in it.

"Looks like they were doing something besides vacationing," Yugi said. The cabinet was filled with weapons, flashlights, ammo, and…

"Food!" Joey yelled. He pulled out handfuls of protein bars and canned fruit. He tore them open and shoved them into his mouth hastily. Yugi was hungry too. Everyone dug into the stash and gorged themselves on it.

By the time they had filled their bellies to the brim, there was still plenty of food left for future feasts. Yugi stashed it back in the cabinet and then delicately slid out the weapons. "I guess that this could be a little useful," he said. "Does anybody know how to use one of these?"

"I do," Tristan said. "My dad used to take me out to a shooting range when I was a kid." He gave them a quick tutorial about how to load and fire their new pistols. Each one of them received a gun for their own protection, but Yugi and Tea quickly put theirs to the side. The pistols didn't feel right in their hands.

"We're gonna hafta get some sleep if we wanna outrun more o' those creatures tomorrow," Joey said wisely. "How 'bout we take turns watching outside? I'll go first."

Joey took his pistol and a flashlight and sat outside the cabin. Every two hours or so, they decided, they would cycle through to the next person. First Joey, then Tristan, then Yugi, then Tea. They would yell if they saw anything out of the ordinary.

Yugi huddled in the corner, tucking a blanket close around him for warmth. They were lucky to have found this place. Now he could actually get a good night's sleep…

Almost immediately, Yugi was being shaken awake by Tristan. "Hey, Yugi, it's time to wake up," Tristan said softly. Yugi mentally grumbled. It couldn't have been four hours. It had felt like only a second. He dragged his tired body out of the little nest he had made for himself and stumbled outside.

As soon as he left the safety of four walls, he felt panic rise up in him again. He was beginning to feel grateful for the weapon in his hand, although he wasn't exactly sure that he remembered the key parts of Tristan's instructions.

It wasn't very cold, but Yugi shivered. He missed the emptiness of sleep. In the waking world, he was confronted with the harsh reality of his situation. They were alone, surrounded by enemies, and Atem was gone. Atem was gone. It was as if the news had just sunk in, tearing a fresh wound in Yugi's heart. Atem was gone. Yugi's friend would never come back.

Tears streamed down Yugi's face, and he shook silently. His best friend in the world was gone. It was as if even the dim light of the moon had disappeared, and he was surrounded by total, suffocating darkness.

"Don't cry, Yugi," a voice said softly. Yugi stopped crying immediately and shined his flashlight into the darkness. The beam of light illuminated Atem, who winced at the sudden brightness.

"Y-you shouldn't have come back here," Yugi said. Atem's eyes drifted down to the pistol at Yugi's side, and Yugi suddenly remembered that he had it. He pointed it threateningly at Atem, but his hand was shaking violently.

Atem raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I promise you, Yugi, I am not here to hurt you," he said. He dared to step a little towards Yugi. "Please…"

"Don't come any closer!" Yugi yelled. Atem stopped in his tracks. "If… if you do, I'll wake the others up, and they'll kill you."

"Won't you do that anyway?" Atem asked. "Or would you rather that I return to my people and alert them to your location?"

Yugi bit his lip in frustration. "What do you want?" he asked softly.

"I want a chance to explain myself," Atem answered. "I need to tell you what really happened out in that swamp." Yugi didn't budge or say a word. Atem took that as permission to begin his story.

"When I first came to this island," Atem began, "I was as alone as you were. I wandered into the swamp, looking for you and the others. Instead, I found one of those creatures."

"Creatures like you?" Yugi interrupted.

Atem sighed. "I am getting there, Yugi," Atem said. "It caught me off guard. I wasn't able to escape it like you. As I told you earlier, it bit me. I felt delirious. I heard… a voice inside my head. The voice told me that it was the grandmaster, the ruler of these monsters, and now it ruled me also. It said that it had recruited me into its forces. I passed out.

"When I awoke, I found that I…" Atem took a deep breath that shook in his throat. Apparently this memory was a painful one. "I was not myself. My body had changed dramatically. I panicked, to say the least. So I was utterly relieved when I found that I could take my human form again. I vowed that I would never tell anyone about what had happened to me, not ever. But I couldn't let my pride and selfishness endanger your well-being. When I found that we could not escape the other creature, I made my choice."

Yugi peered at him. "If you're really Atem," he said hesitantly, "how did you know how to speak their language? How did you know that you could?"

"I… I don't know," Atem admitted. "I can only assume that it was some new instinct." Atem realized that this was a major hole in his story, one that could jeopardize his entire plea of innocence.

"Why should I trust you?" Yugi asked. "Why should I believe your story? You could have made this whole thing up!"

"There is no way for me to prove the legitimacy of my story," Atem said. "But I'm begging you, give me a chance to prove that I don't want to hurt you."

Yugi stared into Atem's eyes. Finally, he lowered his pistol and tossed it into the bushes(1). "Then prove it," he said. He was completely vulnerable now. He knew it, and Atem knew it too. Even if he did call for help, Atem could have easily killed him, captured him, or bitten him before the others could rescue him.

Atem walked forward slowly, as if he was approaching a shy puppy. He came so close that Yugi could feel his breath. Atem cupped Yugi's face with his hand and put their foreheads together. Yugi closed his eyes. This was Atem. No one else could be so gentle and so strong at the same time.

Yugi's shoulders began to shake, and Atem held him comfortingly. "I-I thought you were dead!" Yugi wailed. He pressed his face into Atem's chest and drenched it with his tears. The real Atem was back. Everything in the world seemed to brighten, and suddenly their situation didn't seem nearly as bad.

* * *

Tea opened her eyes slowly. Why hadn't anybody woken her up? Was Yugi still out there? Or… Tea shuddered. No, she couldn't lose another friend on this island. Yugi had just decided to be a gentleman and let her sleep.

She looked up and froze. Atem was leaning against the side of the shack. Yugi was asleep on Atem's chest, and Atem was stroking Yugi's hair pensively. His eyes were far away, and his face was very sad.

A million thoughts poured through Tea's mind. Yugi must have fallen asleep accidentally—how else would Atem have gotten inside the cabin undetected? But why hadn't Atem tried to kill them already? Had he noticed their weapons and called for assistance? And how was Tea supposed to kill Atem before he killed Yugi, when Yugi was in such a vulnerable position?

It was as if Atem could hear every one of Tea's loud and panicked thoughts. His eyes drifted toward her slowly. She scrambled to pick up her gun and pointed it at Atem with both hands. "Let him go!" she yelled. Her exclamation woke everyone in the house. Joey and Tristan grabbed their pistols also and aimed them at Atem.

Yugi awoke with sleepy eyes to see what the commotion was about. "Hey!" he yelled. "Hey, hey, stop it!" He stood in front of Atem protectively. "Guys, stop. It's okay."

"Okay?" Tea demanded. "You were the one who told us that Atem was evil!"

"I was wrong," Yugi admitted. "Atem's still himself—only his body was transformed when he was bitten."

They looked between Yugi and Atem. Yugi nodded, and they lowered their guns. Joey walked up and looked Atem fiercely in the eye. "Don't—ever—do that ta us again, ya hear me?" Joey asked.

Atem smiled softly. "I'll do my best."

* * *

(1) Yugi's pretty freakin' lucky that gun didn't go off, wouldn't you say? 


	4. What I've Become

"I am very glad that all of you are alright," Atem said. "I was worried that this—" He indicated the wound on his shoulder. "Had happened to you too."

"Atem, I'm really sorry, dude," Tristan said sadly.

"We all are," Tea agreed. "I know that it must be hard, especially after what we just put you through."

"It's nothing," Atem replied shortly. Yugi respected that Atem didn't want to linger on something that couldn't be changed, but this was serious. This was something that Atem couldn't ignore. He had been transformed into a monster against his will. No one could recover easily from that.

As long as they were trying to escape from this island, Atem had something to focus on. He could ignore the gravity of the situation while they were here. As soon as the gang returned to their home, the change would settle in. Atem needed to deal with that. He couldn't avoid it forever.

"The more important thing is how we are going to get off this island," Atem said. "Perhaps this isn't an island at all. Perhaps there are other humans here. We don't know enough about this place yet. We should do some exploring."

"Exploring is kind of a dangerous proposition," Yugi noted. "With all of those creatures in the swamp, we'll never be able to explore it without being bitten or worse."

Atem's eyes wandered, as if he was debating what to say. "I am able to sense them when they are close enough," he said finally. "If I focus, we should be able to pass through the swamp and avoid them altogether."

"That's good," Tea said encouragingly. "Then with your help, we should be able to find a way out of here."

Atem's stomach growled, and the others backed away from him. "I'm not going to eat you," Atem said with a touch of annoyance. "But I might do so eventually if we don't find some food."

They showed him their secret stash, and he began to eat quickly. "We gotta take da food," Joey said. "And da weapons. And da blankets."

"Joey's right. We should take everything that we can carry," Yugi said thoughtfully. "As far as we know, there isn't another place on this island that humans have been before us."

"Then we should leave as soon as possible, and we should hurry," Atem noted. "We have limited supplies and a lot of land to cover." They packed up everything useful in the little shack, and then they set out.

"Maybe we should stick to the beach," Yugi suggested. "We can do a perimeter search and see if this is really an island after all. If we find ourselves back at the cabin, we'll know that we've cleared the entire surrounding area. Besides, the creatures seem to want to avoid the beach."

They all agreed to this. They walked along the white sand, leaving footprints behind them. "Atem?" Yugi asked. He and Atem were a distance away from the other three. "Why don't those creatures like the beach? I don't understand."

Atem hesitated, searching his new instincts for answers. "The sun," Atem answered finally. "In their true forms, it irritates their skin. The trees and the fog block out harsh light, but the beach lets it all through."

"So we won't be safe in the nighttime?" Yugi asked.

"I suppose not," Atem said. "But you were no safer in that shack. I doubt that there is any safe place on this island."

Yugi sighed. Atem still wasn't identifying himself with the rest of his race. Although his mind was still human, his body had been irrevocably changed. That had its advantages and its disadvantages, but as long as Atem continued to try to ignore the truth they would never be able to use the advantages to their maximum benefit.

Yugi tried again. "So when you say that you can sense your own kind, what do you mean?"

Atem's left index finger twitched. Yugi knew that that was a sign of mild annoyance. "You can feel the heat of a fire or the warmth of the sun. I can feel the creatures in much the same way," Atem replied. His answers were getting shorter.

"If you can bite people, then what do you need a stinger for?" Yugi asked relentlessly.

At that point, Atem turned on Yugi. "Why are you asking me all of these questions?" he demanded.

"Well, if you're like those creatures now, I want to know about them so that I can know about you," Yugi lied.

"I am not like them," Atem said shortly.

"Atem, you… you kind of are," Yugi responded. "I mean, your body is like theirs…"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Atem exclaimed. "They are monsters. They are murderers. I am nothing like them!" The others turned around to see what was going on.

"Yes, you are!" Yugi yelled. "You've changed, and I'm sorry, but you're different now." Atem looked furious. "This doesn't have to be entirely bad—we can find a way to turn this in our favor."

"Turn this in our favor?" Atem repeated. "You have no idea what this is like, do you?"

"Then tell me!" Yugi said. "I want to help you. I want to understand! I want to make sure that this is as easy as possible."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Yugi, but this is not easy," Atem spat. "Do you want to know the truth? I feel disgusted with myself. I hate my body and I hate my senses! I despise everything that has to do with what I've become."

"Atem, you're not going to change back," Yugi said softly. "This is the way that it is. You're going to have to accept this new life eventually, no matter how hard it is."

Atem turned away from him and stared out at the sea. The others watched him. "How can I accept being something that humanity fears and despises?"

Yugi gently put his hand on Atem's arm. "You don't have a choice," he said.

Atem gazed at his hands. He had seen them scaled, clawed, and disfigured. But there was nothing he could do. The change was irreversible. Now all that he could do was live on and take comfort in the fact that his friends still loved him. "I suppose that there's no use in being sad," Atem said reluctantly.

"Right," Yugi said, smiling. Yugi turned to continue walking, but Atem didn't budge. "Atem?"

Atem had suddenly begun to shake. His eyes were wide. He bent over and held his head. "No…" he mumbled. "I will not. I will not."

"Atem, what's wrong?" Yugi asked frantically.

"I heard…" Atem looked even more frightened than Yugi felt. "I heard that voice again, in my head. It told me to do things."

"What kind of things?" Yugi asked. The others came running up.

"What's going on, guys?" Tea asked. "Why did you stop?"

"It… it told me to bite you, to change you as I had been changed," Atem admitted. Yugi's stomach churned, and he realized why Atem was so upset. If this voice persisted, then Atem could possibly become as much of a monster as any of the others. "There is someone orchestrating this, someone behind it all. He's trying to convince me to finish what they started."

"You're… not gonna, right, Atem?" Joey asked warily.

"Of course not," Atem replied. "But I am worried. If the voice in my mind can speak to me this way, he could be able to do many other things with me. He could be able to see through my eyes, hear through my ears—perhaps even control me entirely."

"It can't be that simple," Yugi said. "If that was true, then we all would have been transformed a long time ago. I think that this process is… gradual. I mean, think about it. The humans who were here before probably were all transformed at the same time, right? Well, that meant that they wouldn't have had any human influences. It would have just been that voice and the rest of those creatures. In a setting like that, they would have been forced to adapt pretty quickly."

"Do you think it's possible that all of those creatures used to be human?" Tea asked. "Maybe that's the only way that they can increase their population."

"If they used to be human, that means that their human minds are still inside them, somewhere," Atem mused. "If we can convince one to get back in touch with his human side, then we might be able to use their help to get off the island."

"It's worth a shot," Tristan said. "But how are we supposed to get one?"

Atem looked at Yugi. "What?" Yugi asked innocently.


	5. Journey to the Other Side

Yugi walked into the swamp. Why did he have to be the bait? He knew that the others were right behind him, ready to take the creature by surprise, but Yugi wasn't altogether comfortable with the fact that he was putting his humanity in serious jeopardy.

He heard the hissing sound almost as soon as he set foot in the bog. He froze as he felt the moist, warm, pungent breath on the back of his neck. "Now… would be a good time," Yugi muttered through clenched teeth.

Suddenly, Atem, Tea, Joey, and Tristan all burst out of the forest and tackled the creature to the ground. It spat in protest as they pinned it to the ground and tied its limbs with a couple of strong vines.

They dragged it into the woods. Atem knelt down beside in front of it and looked it in its small, beady eyes. "Ignore your instincts and listen to me," Atem said, hissing in the creature's tongue. "You were a man once. You lived among humans in human society. I know what you are, and I am the same as you, but I embrace what humanity remains in me. Do the same as me. Tell me who you used to be."

"Newcomer…" the creature spat. "You are all the same. You plea that you are human; you mourn for what you lost. You don't realize that you have evolved into something superior."

"You call yourself superior, but you have become a monster," Atem retorted. "You take the lives away from innocents."

"We are neither murderers nor slavers," the creature said. "We give the humans the gift of a better life. We have given you that gift."

"Do you call what you gave me a gift?" Atem asked.

"You are stronger now, and faster. You can smell a human from a mile away; you can hear the ants marching along the ground. You can see in the darkest fog and sense the life of those like you. You can even take a human form, if you so desire. All that we ask in return is your loyalty."

"Those gifts are nothing to me if they mean that I am alienated from the ones I love," Atem said bitterly.

"You would not be alienated from them if you put them in the same position as yourself," the creature whispered. "Think—if they were as you are, then you would not have to feel so alone. You would not be torn between two worlds. Why fight this? You and your friends will never escape. You should make this as easy on yourself as possible."

Atem clenched his fist. He was supposed to be convincing the creature to join their side, not the other way around. Yugi noticed Atem's distress immediately. "We can stop now, if you want," Yugi offered.

"Let me finish," Atem answered.

"And even if you do escape," the creature continued, "what would you do? Would you try in vain to live on as a human when you are no such thing? Transforming them would be the best for all of you."

"Be silent," Atem hissed. "I will not make my friends suffer as I have suffered, and I will let no one hurt them. Now…" Atem grabbed the creature and dragged him to the edge of the forest. "You will tell me everything I need to know, or you're going out in that sunlight."

"If you do that, I will just transform," the creature said.

"All the better," Atem replied. "What is your name?"

"I have no name."

"Wrong answer," Atem said. "Your human name, the one given to you by your parents. What is it?"

The creature didn't reply. Atem shrugged and tossed him into the sun with superhuman ease. The creature writhed and screamed as its skin began to redden. It transformed quickly. Now Atem found himself looking at a thin, dirty man in his forties. "You speak English?" Atem asked, talking normally. The man nodded. "So then, are you going to tell me your name, or are we just going to have to sit here until you do?"

"Logan," the man responded angrily. His voice was gravely and hoarse.

"It's very nice to meet you, Logan," Atem said casually, taking a seat on the sand. "My name is Atem."

"We know," Logan said quickly. "We know everything about you. We've known about you since the moment that we transformed you."

"You are not 'we.' You are 'I.' You are one person, separate from the rest of the herd," Atem said. "How old are you, Logan?"

"Forty-seven."

"How long have you been here, on this island?" Atem inquired.

"About ten years." Logan seemed to be coming out of his shell a bit. "I was taking a cruise with my father, for his sixtieth birthday, and the ship crashed."

Atem smiled. This was beginning to work. "Did you have any other family besides your father?"

"I have a wife and a daughter," Logan admitted. "My wife… she was… the most beautiful woman in the world. And my kid was just going into middle school when I…" Remorse flashed behind his beady eyes. He missed his family. "I should never have left her," he said sadly.

"If you join us and help us to find a way off of this island, we may be able to help you return to the ones you love," Atem said enticingly. "Your wife and daughter will be so happy to see you again."

Tears swam in Logan's eyes. "It's been ten years…" he said. "How can I go back after what's happened to me?"

"I promise you, we both will find a way to go back to our human lives," Atem said. He took the vines off Logan's wrists and ankles and offered the man his hand. "Are you willing to help us?"

Logan hastily wiped his eyes and took Atem's hand. "That's great!" Yugi exclaimed. Joey and Tristan began a victory dance, and Tea touched the corners of her eyes.

"Logan, is there a way off this island?" Atem asked.

Logan nodded. "There's a bridge on the north end. No one ever comes over on it, and I don't know what's on the other side." Atem looked up at the sky. It was morning, and the sun was still in the east. Atem calculated that the bridge they were looking for was, unfortunately, on the opposite side of the island.

"We'll just have to avoid the other creatures as we make our way through the swamp," Atem said. This was going to be dangerous, especially if they were going to cut through the swamp to get to the other side. If they took the beach route, it could take them many more days or weeks to get to the bridge.

"We're going… through the swamp?" Yugi asked warily. "But, if we do…"

"Logan and I will be on our guard. We will be able to get to the other side safely if we hurry," Atem promised.

The gang set out into the marshes. They walked quickly, but they found that the deeper inland they went, the harder it was to walk though the bog. They all kept falling into the murky water and sinking into the greenish mud.

"Atem," Logan said suddenly.

"I sense it too. Come on!" Atem yelled. The gang started running as fast as they could. Yugi dared to look back and saw that four creatures were after them. Then Yugi felt a stabbing pain in his leg, as if he had just been stabbed with a needle. He collapsed onto the ground.

"Yugi!" Atem yelled. He dashed back to Yugi and picked him up, but the creatures had gained on them quickly. Atem started to run back, but he was sinking farther and farther into the mud with Yugi's extra weight.

The creatures were coming closer. "Atem, transform," Yugi whispered. His voice sounded weak. "That form was made… for the swamp…"

Atem was reluctant, but he could either transform or have Yugi be transformed. Atem changed into his true form, and he easily flew over the small mud patches with his wide, clawed feet.

Atem turned left, dashed behind a boulder, and slid into a small crevasse in the rock. The crevasse proved to be much more than a crevasse, and Atem and Yugi fell painfully into a dark cavern beneath the soil.

The creatures above ground were confounded. Atem was grateful that his aura was masked by a few layers of dirt and grass. The creatures ran away after the others, and Atem hoped that the rest of the gang was far away by now.

A slit of dull light shown on Yugi's face, and Atem could see that Yugi's eyes were closed. He must have passed out. Atem dashed over and looked at Yugi's leg before he even bothered to change back into a human. There was a dart in Yugi's calf. Atem pulled it out quickly.

Yugi opened his eyes and screamed, backing into the wall. Atem clamped his scaly hand over Yugi's mouth and transformed. "Yugi, it's all right. It's me," Atem said soothingly. He took his hand off Yugi's mouth, and Yugi held his heart.

"I'm sorry," Yugi whispered.

"It's fine," Atem said. "You were shot with a dart. It might have been poisoned. Do you feel all right?"

"I can't feel my leg," Yugi said. He tried to stand up and fell right back onto the ground. "I can't move it either."

"A temporary paralytic," Atem observed. "You probably won't be able to move it for another few hours. If we are to get out of here anytime soon, I'll need to carry you."

"Okay… I just hope… the others are all right…" Yugi said weakly.


	6. No Escape

Atem crawled out of the crevasse in the rock and helped Yugi out. "Yugi, I'm going to transform again. Is that all right?" Atem asked. Yugi nodded. His eyes were drifting, as though he was half-asleep. "You just hop on my back and I'll see if I can find the others."

Atem changed his form, and Yugi looked him up and down. He was utterly unrecognizable, his pale skin turned into pitch black scales, his Egyptian face mutated into a draconic muzzle. Yet beyond the scorpion's tail and raptor claws there was something familiar. "I should have known it was you," Yugi said drowsily. "You have the same eyes."

Yugi pushed himself onto his one working leg and hopped onto Atem's back. Atem sniffed the air. Just as Logan had earlier said, the scent of humans was clear as day to him. The gang was still on their way north, and Atem set off after them.

By the time Atem caught up with them, they were already on the run. Atem called out to Logan, "Stop running! It's just me and Yugi."

Logan translated the sentiment, and the others stopped as Atem and Yugi caught up. Atem transformed and greeted them. "Ya guys are all right. We were worried that ya hadn't escaped," Joey said happily.

"What happened to Yugi?" Tea asked. "Is he sick?"

Although the ride had been far from smooth, Yugi had managed to fall asleep on Atem's back. Atem had to bend over to keep Yugi from falling to the ground. "He was shot by a dart while we were running away," Atem answered. "He lost movement in his leg, and he's been fading in and out of consciousness."

"Your friend's going to be fine. It's just a tranquilizer dart—nothing poisonous," Logan said reassuringly. "But we should probably get moving. There don't seem to be any more of us around here, but I doubt that will last for long."

"Looks like we're getting close to the other shore," Atem observed. There was a line of trees on the horizon. "That didn't take very long at all."

"We were lucky," Logan said. "We crossed at a narrow section of the island. If we had crossed anywhere else, it might have taken us days."

They walked on, and it was starting to get dark. Yugi was still asleep, but Logan wasn't worried. They passed through the woods and emerged on the beach with joyous hearts. There was the bridge. Now all they had to do was cross it, and they would be free.

"Yugi, wake up," Atem whispered. He nudged Yugi in the side, and Yugi blearily raised his head from Atem's shoulder. "We're almost there."

"That's great," Yugi said hoarsely. "Wake me up when we get home, okay?" His head fell back down and he once again began to snooze. Atem resettled Yugi on his back and walked toward the bridge with a smile on his face.

Atem expected his legs to be tired after an entire day of carrying little Yugi on his back, but he felt as though he could walk another week without growing weary. Logan hadn't been kidding when he said that Atem had become stronger since he transformed. It was not a bad thing to be as strong as he was, but the cost was very high.

The water crashed under their feet, and the stars twinkled above their heads. It was a very pleasant night, made all the more pleasing because of where they were headed to—an unknown land, but hopefully devoid of monsters.

"_YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE!"_

Atem and Logan fell to their knees, holding their heads. Yugi tumbled onto the ground with a thud. "What happened?" Yugi mumbled. "Are we there yet?"

"I can… still hear him…" Atem managed. He and Logan both looked like they were in serious pain. Logan's eyes rolled up into his head. His nostrils began to bleed, and he screamed. Then he fell over onto the ground, his blank, sightless eyes wide open.

Atem reeled and leaned on his hands. His nose began to bleed as well, but the pain seemed to subside, not grow. "What da heck what that about?" Joey asked.

Tea checked Logan's pulse. "He's dead," she said softly.

"He is letting me know… that he has complete control over me…" Atem panted. "He's just been toying with us the entire time. He can kill me whenever he chooses."

"He?" Tristan asked.

"The grandmaster, the leader of the herds," Atem said. "The original monster. He was the first one here, the only true pure breed, and he rules all of us." Sadly, Atem turned away from the promise of hope at the end of the bridge. "I cannot follow you home, not like this."

"What?" Tea asked, horrified. "You can't be serious. We can't just leave you here!"

"We don't have a choice!" Atem yelled. "If I go with you, I will be killed, or I will be persuaded to change you. If I stay, then you can go home."

"You expect us to go on with our normal lives and know that you're trapped here?" Tristan said. "There's no way that we're gonna do that!"

"It… will be fine. I will be with my own kind, and I'll get used to it after a while," Atem replied. He looked his friends in the eyes. "I have to say goodbye to you."

Yugi pushed himself onto his one working leg and stood up unsteadily. "If you're going anywhere, we're going with you," Yugi said determinedly. "And there's nothing you can say to stop us from following you wherever you go."

"But Yugi…"

"I told you that there's nothing you can say, and I meant it," Yugi replied. "If this means that we'll have to be transformed too, then… at least we'll be together." He lost his balance and nearly fell, but Atem caught him quickly. "Thanks," Yugi said softly as Atem put him back on his foot.

"Well, I guess that we should go," Atem said softly. They all looked at Logan's body, and then they looked at the monster-free horizon. Yugi knew that he could be going home right now, but what would home be when Atem wasn't there? If Yugi went back now, he would wake up every day and remember that he abandoned his best friend, and he couldn't do that.

They turned their backs on safety and walked toward the island. Almost as soon as the gang touched the sandy shore, creatures surrounded them. Atem felt a strong blow to the back of his head, and his vision became darkness.

* * *

All of the walls were an eerie sort of green, and they glowed. Atem assumed that he was underground, because he could see no natural light anywhere. He was completely unbound, but Atem knew that that didn't mean anything. The grandmaster could kill him in a second, bound or not.

A creature walked heavily toward him. Its nails clicked on the floor with every step. "I assume that you know who I am," the creature hissed. Atem nodded. This was the grandmaster, in the flesh. "Transform immediately. I detest that repulsive human shape."

Atem obeyed and changed his shape. "Where are my friends?" Atem demanded. In exchange for his insolence, Atem felt a strong, sharp pain in his head.

"You will speak only when spoken to," the grandmaster commanded. "But I will answer your question. Your friends are being held in a cell. They are still human. Does that information please you?"

"Yes," Atem answered quickly.

"You do not want them to experience what you have experienced?"

"Yes."

"Why?" the grandmaster asked curiously. "Are we not a superior species? Have you not found yourself stronger, faster, more agile?"

"I believe that the transformation is a perversion of our true selves," Atem said. "And my own transformation had caused me great emotional pain."

"You humans identify yourselves with your bodies. You believe that your form makes you who you are," the grandmaster said pensively. "But it is not true. Who has told you that you cannot be yourself as one of us? Your friends would still be your friends. Your enemies would still be your enemies. You would still be yourself, only stronger."

"Tell that to Logan," Atem spat.

The grandmaster chuckled. It was a low, rumbling sound, like an earthquake. "I see. You believe that being part of our herd would deprive you of your individuality. You think that you would lose yourself and everything that you once were. But you are wrong. Logan was weak, a droid only. The survival of our society depends on the de-individualization of the weak. But you are not like he was, and neither are your friends. You all would maintain your identities. Only submit, and all of this will be easy."

"This will never be easy," Atem said angrily. "We were born to be human. Changing our form against our will is malicious and evil."

"I appreciate your honesty," the grandmaster commented. "But your opinion with change nothing. Your friends will still be changed. You all will live here for the rest of your existences. You will never escape, Atem. I have assured that."


	7. Endgame

Another last chapter; I feel that the end is nigh, my fellows. Again, I would like to thank:

**Masami Mistress of Fire, Yizuki, dragonlady222, Deviousdragon, Shamise, Aelsthla-Mental, atem4ever, **and **Kimberly Sookoo **for reviewing;

**Yizuki **and **atem4ever** for favoriting;

**Masami Mistress of Fire, Panguins-in-American-Oh-my, Pharaohyamifan, Shamise, Yizuki, **and **potter-me-** for alerting;

And everybody who read!

* * *

"Can you see our supreme order, Atem?" the grandmaster asked. He and Atem strode through the halls of the creatures' domain. "This is a perfect society. There is no crime here, no discontent, no poverty, no homelessness. Everyone is at peace. We cooperate to hunt for our food, and we band together to change any humans that happen to stumble onto this island. You were a pharaoh, Atem. You can appreciate this because this is unattainable in a human community."

"What makes your little kingdom so special?" Atem asked.

"We do not have crime or disobedience because each of us follows one will—my will."

"And why is your will the will that everyone should obey?" Atem demanded. "Your people aren't happy. They're afraid of punishment.

The grandmaster chuckled. "You ask why my will is superior? I will tell you. My will is superior because I formed this community. I am the great father of everyone on this island. Though they may have changed others, inevitably I am the source of them all. I am the wisest and the strongest in my world."

They turned the corner and approached the changing ground. Atem dreaded every step. He did not want this to happen to his friends. He despised the very thought of it. "You are not to transform back into a human when you see your comrades," the grandmaster said. "I want them to fear you. I want them to think that you are the instrument of their so-called perversion."

The grandmaster turned to Atem and laughed. "And ultimately, you are, aren't you?" he asked mockingly. "They came back because of you. They will let themselves be transformed because of you. If you had managed to escape my children as they had, then none of you would be here now. But you weren't strong enough, were you?"

Atem stared at the floor. The grandmaster was absolutely right. All of this was Atem's fault in the end. The grandmaster opened the door and walked inside the changing grounds. Atem followed obediently behind.

Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were chained to the ground. Each of them looked up and quaked with fear. They knew what was coming. "Would you like to do it, or shall I?" the grandmaster asked. "I haven't changed a human in ages, because of the side-effects."

"Side-effects?" Atem asked.

The grandmaster swished his tail casually. "It's nothing. But the humans that I've changed myself have turned out… a bit more violent than the rest of them."

Atem flinched. The grandmaster was telling Atem to change his friends or suffer the consequences. Atem had little choice. If he didn't change them, then the grandmaster would kill him and his friends would be transformed by the grandmaster anyway.

He walked up to Yugi and looked him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry, Yugi," Atem said. He knew that Yugi couldn't understand a word that he said, but he said it anyway. Yugi stared at him.

"I know those eyes…" he whispered. Atem closed his eyes and opened his mouth. He could feel the toxic venom dripping off of his long fangs. "It's all right," Yugi said softly. "I know that you wouldn't do this unless you had to."

Atem froze. "I can't," he said, backing away from Yugi. "I can't do this to my friends."

The grandmaster pushed him aside and grabbed Yugi's arm. "If you won't do it, then I will," the grandmaster hissed.

Atem felt a fire rage in his heart. No one—no one—was going to hurt his friends. He let the subconscious part of his mind take over, and he jammed the stinger on the end of his tail straight into the grandmaster's neck.

The grandmaster screeched as greenish blood poured out of the wound. It fell to the ground, dead. Atem panted. What had he just done?

Atem's form began to change of its own accord. His tail shrank and disappeared. His scales fell away and were replaced with clothing. His claws retracted, and his feet and face returned to normal. The grandmaster's body turned to ash, and the green walls turned pure white.

Atem concentrated. "I can't transform anymore," he stated. "It's over."

They stared at each other. "Can we go home now?" Tea asked finally.

"We still have a tournament to go to," Yugi realized. "At least we still have our decks."

"Man, this is gonna look so weird," Joey said. "Hundreds o' people are gonna be walkin' off that bridge inta who knows where."

Yugi limped over to Atem. Yugi's leg was still a little numb, so walking was difficult. "Are you okay?" Yugi asked.

"I'm fine, Yugi," Atem replied. "I'm very relieved. I thought that I was going to be like that forever."

"Kind of makes you appreciate just being human, huh?" Yugi said. Atem nodded. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"Yes," Atem said heartily. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Man, why do I never get first place?" Joey yelled angrily. Atem and Yugi chuckled. Joey had been beaten by a fifteen-year-old French teenager named Pierre in the second round of the competition. Then Atem had beaten Pierre in the semi-finals, and Yugi had beaten Atem in a final glorious endgame.

A few days ago, the gang and hundreds of other humans had stumbled off the island to find that they were on the coast of another old island filled with Roman ruins. There was a man there who apparently owned the entire area, and he had been so afraid of the army of bedraggled people that he agreed to fly them all to Portugal, free of charge.

They had been lucky to make it to the tournament on time. They had walked, hitchhiked, and bartered their way across two countries before they made it to Paris. When they arrived, they were tired, dirty, and tattered, but they had to make it through the first preliminary round before they could take a bath and go to sleep.

"I'm just glad to be home," Yugi said. He reclined on the couch and threw his arm over his eyes. "I really should stop going to these tournaments. Every time I do, something terrible happens."

"Don't give up hope yet, Yugi," Atem said soothingly. "I'm sure that there will be one tournament that goes smoothly."

"Yug's got a point, man," Joey noted. "First Kaiba and Mokuba's souls were taken. Then da evil Marik was sendin' people ta da Shadow Realm. Then some German guy tries ta take over KaibaCorp. And then we end up on an island where a bunch o' monsters are huntin' us down!"

"But it always works out in the end, doesn't it?" Tea said.

"Yeah," Yugi said thoughtfully. "I guess it does."


End file.
